" A little bit Louder NOW." Interview with Lauren Falls
- Toronto Artists
- Feb 23, 2023
- 5 min read
Interview with Lauren Falls Juno Nominee 2023
Written by James Mac Donald
"Toronto-Artists" Creative Director/Writer James Mac Donald last week caught up with Lauren Falls who is best known for her Jazz music as Bassist/Composer. She is currently living in Toronto and getting a lot of attention as she has recently been nominated for this year's Junos. She is up for “Jazz Album of the Year: Solo” with her latest “ A little bit louder now.”
Some may have been wondering what is happening in the Music scene of Toronto and we learned that Toronto is the Forefront of Jazz Musicians and has gained a significant following in the international scene as well. She is an active teacher at the University of Toronto. Talking with Lauren Falls we learned that she has made a deep impact in Toronto and New York in the world of Jazz. In the interview, she describes Toronto as a city that gravitates many artists to the music scene. Toronto Weekend is seeing a growing trend over the past 2 years as a place to be for musicians. We wanted to learn more and find out why it's a trending place to be. Lauren explains, "any given night there are plenty of Jazz venues to take part in." We scratched only just the surface of learning about Lauren in the interview as we discovered she has also gained exposure during her career.
This Interview is Edited and Condensed.
Interview with Lauren Falls and her music
James: “Good morning, Lauren, welcome to Toronto Weekend it's a pleasure to have you featured,as you're up on nominations for the Juno awards.”
Lauren: “Good morning it's great to be invited to do the interview with “Toronto- Weekend.”
James: “What are your plans before the Juno awards?”
Lauren: “I’m really excited about being nominated for the Juno, I’ve been nominated for “Jazz Album of the Year:” Solo “A little bit louder now.” The track has been getting a lot of radio play across Toronto and Canada. At this time I am currently spending a lot of time with my son and family. Tonight I will be playing as Bassist in Mississauga at “The Living Arts Centre '' with Cat Bernardi. I really love performing with them as they are a lot of fun and bring the audience to interact with the show.”
James: “A little bit louder” could you tell us a little bit more about it?
Lauren: ““A little bit louder” is my second album and the first track that is up first on the list and Was inspired by moving back to Toronto. The album is about being outgoing and confident as a musician. It was written at the time of thinking about the next step reflecting on things that I’ve done and wanting to move forward.
James: “The one recording sounds familiar “Labrinth” was it used in any TV commercials or Movies?”
Lauren: “No not at the moment. I would love to have my music being used in a movie, but that could happen down the road of course, it's something to consider. That one track called “Labrinth” was an experimental track and is very different from the rest.
Influence in Music
James: “What would be the most influential time period of Jazz Music for you?”
Lauren: “ I would say jazz from the 1950’s might have been the most influential but it’s hard to say. I was definitely influenced by The Oscar Peterson Trio and the Ahmad Jamal Trio. I like to listen to all types of Music though, you never know what might inspire you.
James: “When you were younger do you remember your first music recital, and when was it that inspiring moment that said this is what I wanted to pursue music?”
Lauren: “I remember my first recital was at the age of 4, I started out by playing piano and violin. It was not until junior high that I started playing bass and started really taking music seriously. I was performing in front of more than a hundred people in the room and the audience really started to enjoy the performance.” Both my parents were High School band Music teachers and growing up I was always surrounded by music. My brother (Trevor Falls) played the drums and I wanted to play it as well. but then the thought of two drummers in the house led me to play Bass.”
Toronto and Jazz Music
James: “What are some of the most Iconic places you would like to perform in Toronto?”
Lauren: “Ya for sure, I think Massey Hall would be one of the places that I would definitely like to perform at, perhaps in the future.”
James: “You’re originally from British Columbia, spent time in New York, and have been in Toronto for a while now. How does where you live affect your career?
Lauren: “Where you live does affect your career because you want to be able to perform and work with certain people in the industry and at the same time get recognized. Toronto is a great place to get out and perform with so many incredible music artists.”
James: “You’ve said, “I think Toronto is definitely one of the cities Canadian musicians gravitate towards and therefore the jazz community is full of really incredible creative musicians. It sounds like Toronto has really been able to connect and grow your passion. Where would you recommend a fellow Torontonian explore to hear or even play?
Lauren: “I’ve always loved living in Toronto ,there are many places to perform. Toronto is a Jazz city and there are more than 20 venues happening in just one night at times. There are so many great musicians living in Toronto and a lot of opportunities to see them perform. I’d say The Jazz Bistro and The Rex are my two favourite venues to perform at and go see fellow musicians perform.”
Travel
James: “I understand that you spent some time around the world and have taught in India.”
Lauren: “Yes, that was way back, I think it was about 2014 in Mumbai India. It was a sister school to Manhattan School of Music with a music program set up. I had a great experience while teaching students and working with them...I loved to hear about their experiences with music. I’m always inspired by what they have to say and always learning.”
James: “What was one of the exciting things that happened while teaching there?”
Lauren: “ The one exciting thing was stumbling upon a Blues Festival in Mumbai.”
James: “You have travelled in Europe, how was that ?”
Lauren: “Yes it was great travelling through Europe and there are so many great places to see, I’ve learnt a lot from travelling abroad and had many great moments. If I had to choose and go back I’d love to spend some time in Paris. I love Toronto though, and I’m so happy living in Toronto. “
James: “Thank you for the time given us the opportunity to interview and look forward to hearing more about you in the future with Junos and future recordings.”
To follow Lauren Falls check her out on the following media platforms
Spotify
Special thanks to Lauren Falls for giving us the time for the interview during her
busy schedule.
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